Roger Vaughan

Collingwood will aim to run the speedy backman off his feet after he was a surprise inclusion in the Bombers' side for the MCG blockbuster.

This will be Dempsey's first senior game of the season after the club suspended him at the start of the month and recalled him on Tuesday.

The Bombers had banished him to the VFL, with coach Mark Thompson saying he was not meeting their professional standards.

Advertisement

But captain Jobe Watson said on Thursday that Dempsey had impressed everyone with his new outlook.

"The way that he's handled himself the last month, the way that he looks, physically the way he's looked after himself, I think talking to him that he's enjoyed the experience," Watson said.

"He's gone away and thought about his life and footy and what it means to him and perhaps it's opened his eyes a bit to how other people are living their lives and how privileged we are to play AFL footy.

"It's always a risk, but if the selection committee want to go down that path it's up to them."

Essendon also recalled Jason Winderlich and Zach Merrett, but star utility Brendon Goddard remains sidelined with the groin injury he suffered early in the round-four loss to Fremantle.

Ruckman Tom Bellchambers will have another week in the VFL as he returns from pre-season ankle surgery.

The Bombers could not consider David Myers (hamstring) and specialist run-with midfielder Heath Hocking (soreness), while Leroy Jetta are dropped.

Collingwood are in a groove after convincing wins over Richmond and North Melbourne and are unchanged.

But Scott Pendlebury, who will lead the `Pies in the annual Anzac Day match for the first time, said form is irrelevant in such a big day for the two clubs.

The Collingwood-Essendon Anzac Day clash is in its 20th year and has become the biggest game of the season outside the finals.

"That's the beauty of Anzac Day - in the past, if we'd been five and zip or they'd been nought and five, or the other way around, this game has always been huge," Pendlebury said.

"It doesn't matter what's happened in previous rounds, it's on from the first bounce tomorrow."

Pendlebury revealed no AFL game has made him more anxious than his first Anzac Day.

"I reckon the most nervous I've been is my first Anzac Day as a player, even more so than the (three) grand finals," said the 176-game veteran.